Updated for 2026

Kentucky LPCC & LPCA Continuing Education Requirements

Kentucky counselors must complete 10 continuing education hours per year to renew their LPCC / LPCA license.

total hours / year

Annual · renewal date varies by licensee.

Kentucky LPCC & LPCA requirements

Requirement	Notes
Total continuing education	10 hours per year.
Renewal	Annual cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Approved providers	Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, accredited university, and state licensure board and recognized associations in counseling.
Recordkeeping	Keep CE documentation for 1 year after each renewal.
Board audit	The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal	A late renewal allows a 60-day grace period after expiration and a late fee.
One-time requirements	6 hours of CE in suicide assessment, treatment, and management, completed within the first 3 years of initial licensure (KRS 210.366). (6 hours, one time).
One-time requirements	3 hours of CE in domestic violence within the first 3 years of initial licensure (KRS 194A.540). One-time requirement. (3 hours, one time).

Full board policy details

Provider approval: CE sponsored or approved by the American Counseling Association and its branches, the Kentucky Counseling Association and its chapters, the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), or any state counseling licensure board is accepted without further board review (201 KAR 36:030 §3). Academic courses in a CACREP-accredited counseling program are likewise pre-approved. CE from any other source is not automatically creditable — the licensee must submit a Continuing Education Program Application for the board to approve those hours. No category of activity is exempt from this approval requirement.
Instructor equivalency: a licensee who teaches a board-approved course in domestic violence, suicide assessment, or Kentucky law is deemed to have satisfied that corresponding mandatory training requirement (201 KAR 36:030). This is separate from instructor CE credit, which remains subject to the 50% teaching cap and the no-repeat-instruction rule.
Self-study and asynchronous/online CE is permitted with no cap; 100% of the 10 hours may be earned via approved online or home-study courses. Live in-person attendance is not required.
Teaching CE: an instructor may earn CE credit for teaching a course, but credit shall not exceed one-half (1/2) of the required hours per cycle, and no credit is given for repeated instruction of the same course in the same renewal period (201 KAR 36:030).
Publication CE: credit may be granted for a relevant professional publication, capped at one-half (1/2) of the required hours, with no more than one publication counted per renewal period.
Academic coursework conversion: 1 semester hour of academic credit in an approved counseling program = 15 CE hours.
Course repeat restriction: a licensee may not earn duplicate credit for the same course (whether taken or taught) within the same renewal period. Repeating identical CE content within one cycle yields credit only once.
Inactive status: an LPC on inactive status is relieved of paying the renewal fee but MUST still complete the 10 hours of CE for each year of inactivity. To reactivate within 3 years, the licensee must pay the current renewal fee and document CE for every inactive year. Failure to reactivate within 3 years forfeits the license.
Retired status: a licensee aged 65+ who has ceased practice may request retired status. Retired licensees are NOT required to meet CE requirements, but to resume active practice they must reapply for a new license (including reexamination) — there is no simple reactivation path.
Lapsed/expired license reinstatement: to reinstate a lapsed LPC license, the applicant must submit proof of 10 CE hours (including 3 hours of the Kentucky law course) completed within the one year prior to the reinstatement application. After 3 years of expiration, the licensee must reapply for licensure from scratch.
Hardship/medical waiver: the Board may grant a CE waiver or extension of up to one (1) calendar year for documented medical disability, illness, or other undue hardship. Written request (with physician documentation for medical cases) must be submitted within the renewal grace period. Extensions may be renewed by reapplication.
Initial licensure timing: if an LPC license is initially issued within 120 days before the October 31 renewal date, the first renewal is deferred to October 31 of the following year. Otherwise, the full 10-hour CE requirement applies for the first renewal — there is no prorated first cycle.

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Kentucky LPCC & LPCA CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Kentucky LPCC / LPCA licensees need?

Kentucky requires 10 continuing education hours per year to renew a LPCC / LPCA license. Annual cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

How often do Kentucky LPCC / LPCA licensees renew?

Annual cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

Sources & verification

State source: Kentucky board rule
Profession source: NBCC continuing education guidance
Last verified: May 2026
Ruleset version: 2026.1

Reviewed against the Kentucky board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is informational only and not legal or board advice. Always verify requirements with your licensing board before you renew. See something wrong? Report it →

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Other Kentucky CE requirement pages

Kentucky LCSW